Two leading lights of the co-op movement, Peter Hunt and Ed Mayo, have been awarded MBEs in the new year’s honours list.
Also on the list are two Co-op Party figures, with Anneliese Dodds made a dame and Jonathan Ashworth given a CBE.
Peter Hunt, former secretary general of the Co-op Party and chief executive of Mutuo, a think tank that advocates for co-ops and mutuals, was given his MBE for parliamentary and political services.
In a post on LinkedIn, he said: “Throughout my career at Mutuo and the Co-operative Party, I’ve had the privilege of working on meaningful projects alongside talented and committed colleagues. It’s incredibly gratifying to have our policy and Parliamentary work for co-operatives and mutuals recognised in this way.
“Some of the most fulfilling moments have come from originating six private members’ bills that became acts of Parliament, leading all-party campaigns and helping to defeat demutualisation efforts. These achievements were only possible thanks to the dedication and collaboration of so many remarkable people.
“To everyone I’ve worked with so far: thank you for being part of this journey and for helping to make lasting change happen.”
Ed Mayo, former secretary general of Co-operatives UK, recently left his post as CEO of London-based charity Pilotlight, and now chairs community land trust Rural Urban Synthesis Society (Russ)
“I am very happy to be recognised in the New Years Honours with an MBE for my years as a campaigner, organiser, cooperator, fundraiser and occasional trouble-maker,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “It feels special to be seen and for civil society more widely to be at the table for these things.
“It has been a gear change year for me. I have always been a volunteer, but have been lucky enough to have had a professional career in civil society too. I stepped down as CEO of Pilotlight in October and that marked 32 years as a non-profit CEO.
“I am now chair of RUSS, an inspiring urban community land trust … and trustee of the brilliant Charity Excellence.“
He added: “I have worked with extraordinary teams and supportive colleagues that I owe a huge amount to. With them, I have been witness to amazing acts of co-operation, from the birth of Fairtrade, the impact of the world’s largest handwritten petition (Jubilee 2000), the patient evolution of community finance and the rise of skills-based volunteering across the charity sector.”
Anneliese Dodds, who was made a dame for political and parliamentary services, is Labour / Co-op MP for Oxford East. Seen as an ally of prime minister Keir Starmer, she briefly served as his shadow chancellor but was replaced by Rachel Reeves in May 2021.
In government she served as development and equalities minister, but resigned in February over plans to cut international aid to fund an increase in defence spending. She has been the MP for Oxford East since 2017. She was chair of the Labour Party from 2021 to 2024.
Another ally of Starmer, Jonathan Ashworth, was given a CBE for parliamentary, political service and charitable advocacy work on behalf of children of alcoholics. Ashworth served as Labour/Co-op MP for Leicester South from 2011 to 2024, when he lost his seat in the general election. He now leads think tank Labour Together, which is seen as influential with the Labour leadership, and was previously led by Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
